Who hasn’t looked in the mirror, at one time or another, and decided that it’s time for a change? Whether a subtle new hairstyle or something more dramatic, there comes a moment when a decision must be made. Daring to take a step forward is rarely easy, and can apply to buildings as much as people. And such was the dilemma that recently arose at New York’s esteemed ‘21’ restaurant.

The subject: the Winchester Room, one of ‘21’’s 10 private dining rooms. This dark and masculine room was originally designed in the 1960s to accommodate a collection of Western memorabilia, much of it belonging to John “Jack” Kriendler and his cousin Charlie Berns—owners of the speakeasy that became ‘21’. Kriendler was, to put it mildly, a Western buff. He amassed a world-class collection of wild west art, including 26 pieces by the legendary 1800s artist Frederic Remington, which adorn the walls of the Remington private dining room on the restaurant’s third floor. Art aside, Kriendler loved cowboy clothing. His collection was described as including “130 shirts, 160 pairs of pants, 26 pairs of boots, 24 belts, 20 complete rodeo outfits and 36 ten-gallon hats”. Two pairs of his boots were displayed in the Winchester room, along with one of his pistol holsters.